New Williamston Playground a Place for All Children

A new playground in Williamston’s historic Mineral Springs Park will offer a new place for all children in the area to enjoy the great outdoors.

The playground, which will be open to the public soon, is completely Americans with Disabilities Act accessible, and includes some of the latest designs aimed at both fun and safety, synthetic turf and a fence to keep kids safe.

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Greg Wilson
November Update with County Administrator Rusty Burns

Anderson County is still cleaning up from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and it will likely be months before the work is completed, said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns.

The county is collecting debris and chipping it at the Iva landfill, where the wood chips will soon be available to citizens. The county is also still helping some citizens with storm-related issues while working to secure FEMA funding to pay for all the work.

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Greg Wilson
Harbor Freight to Bring 36 Jobs to Piedmont Facility

Harbor Freight Tools on Thursday made official a new expansion in Anderson County, with 36 new jobs and an additional $30 million investment in the county.

“We have been working with Harbor Freight for some time and are pleased to see these new jobs which pay far above the regional and state averages,” said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns.

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Greg Wilson
Republicans Win Big in S.C, National, State Races

With a turnout of 72 percent, there were few surprises in the state and national voting in Anderson County Tuesday.

In the presidential election, the county cast 65,305 votes for Donald Trump and 23,910 for Kamala Harris.

It was a big night for the state Republican Party with wins in United States House Dist. 3, South Carolina State Senate Dist. 3, S.C. State Senate Dist. 4, and S.C. House Districts 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 all going to the GOP.

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Greg Wilson
Voters Reject One-Cent Tax to Fix Roads

Anderson County voters rejected a referendum asking for a one-penny sales tax to repair/replace the county’s aging roads and bridges on Tuesday.

A total of 44,121 voted against the referendum which would have put a one-cent tax on all items except groceries for the next seven years. The move would have provided the county $350 million over that time, with an estimated $127 million coming from visitors to the county.

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Greg Wilson
Three Incumbents Lose in School Dist. 5, One in Dist. 1

Two Anderson school districts will have new board members following Tuesday’s general election.

Anderson School Dist. 5 will see the biggest changes with the loss of three incumbents.

In Dist. 5, Area 1, Troy L. Haguewood will replace Julie Usherwood. In Dist. 5, Area 7, Tripp Dukes will replace John P. Griffith, and in Dist. 5’s At Large Seat, Bill Thompson will replace Andy Patrick.

Meanwhile, in School Dist. 2, Area 3, John J.C. Neel will replace incumbent Moochie Merritt. Neel took 9,211 votes, 51.25 percent, to Merritt’s 8,712 votes, 48.47 percent.

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Greg Wilson
S.C. Voted Early in Record Numbers

COLUMBIA – Over 1.5 million South Carolinians voted early this year for the general election, or more than 45% of all registered voters in the state.

“We are thrilled to see this record-breaking turnout during the early voting period as we head into a highly anticipated Election Day,” Howard Knapp, executive director of the State Election Communication, in a statement Monday. “If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, get to the polls tomorrow and exercise your right to vote.”

According to the commission, 1.47 million people voted early in person in the two-week window between Oct. 21 and Nov. 2, and about 100,000 people have voted absentee by mail so far.

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Greg Wilson
Opinion: Referendum Might be Only Hope for Roads

A “Yes” vote tomorrow is crucial to the county’s future, including economic development (companies consider road conditions when scouting locations) as well as the safety of our citizens.

A “No” vote will mean more crumbling roads, higher vehicle maintenance costs and decreased safety for all drivers in our county.

Let’s hope Anderson County voters look to the future and approve the roads referendum in November.

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Greg Wilson
County to Vote on $4.8M Generator for New Detention Center

Anderson County Council will vote on a proposed contract for Duke Energy to provide a backup generator at the Anderson County Detention Center which is currently under construction as part of their regular meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the historic courthouse.

The total cost of the project is an estimated 4.8 million and will be paid for in payments of $26,835 per month for 180 months.

Council will also consider an agreement with the City of Belton to allow county code enforcement officers to respond to environmental and code violations in Belton.

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Greg Wilson
Early Voting for General Elections Closes Big

Close to one-third of all registered Anderson Count voters cast their ballots for this year’s general election.

Since Oct. 25, 40,159 voters made their way to the four polling sights in the county, often facing long lines, especially in Anderson.

The number also represents just under half of the number of voters who cast ballots in the county in the 2020 general election when 96,792 of the county’s 130,000 registered voters voted.

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Greg Wilson
Education Committee Oks Ban of 7 School Library Books

A South Carolina Board of Education subcommittee voted to ban seven of 11 challenged books from public high schools in the state.  Three others were approved and one was tabled for additional consideration.
The list of books under review by the Instructional Materials Review Committee (IMRC) include books  commonly taught in public schools such as "To Kill A Mockingbird," "1984" and "Romeo and Juliet."

Those three volumes survived the challenge and will remain on shelves in the state’s public high schools.

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Greg Wilson
Endorsement: Harris Clear Choice Over Wallace-Like Trump

The choice for a better future for America is clear. A second Trump administration would be a disaster for America and its role as global leader. Harris at the very least offers a hope for a brighter future for the middle class and a return to historical sanity and leadership in American government which has been in chaos since Trump ran for president in 2016.

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Greg Wilson
Cancer Association Breaks Ground on New Facility

The Cancer Association of Anderson broke ground for a new facility on Tuesday, one which will help them expand their work and to meet a growing need in the community.

The new facility will feature more space for those suffering from cancer and their families, including additional wellness areas. The organization moved into its current temporary location after the 100-year-old house which originally housed the charity was deemed unsafe due to the deterioration of age.

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Greg Wilson